Mayor says man told him he was 'following the call of the wild'

Shortly after 3:45 p.m. Tuesday, Annapolis Mayor Joshua Cohen happened upon a man with "his pants down to his ankles urinating" in a city parking garage on Gorman Street, according to a police report.

Cohen approached the man and, the police report states, asked him what he was doing. "The man stated that he was 'following the call of the wild,'" the police report states.

When the mayor informed the man of public restrooms available downstairs, the man apparently swore at Cohen. He later got in his car and began to leave. At that point, the mayor called police and instructed the parking attendant to keep the gate closed.

When asked by an officer about the alleged incident, the police report states, "He said, 'If I had to follow the call of the wild, I would tell you.'"

Police identified the man as Richard Vermillion, 68, of Annapolis, and charged with with public urination.

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